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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "MR CASSA CANN" <cass11225@lyocs.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: cascada2005@zwallet.com
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 13:57:01 +0000
Subject: VERY URGENT

VERY CONFIDENTIAL
FROM: MR CASSA CANN ATTN:
DEAR. SIR
I AM THE MANAGER OF BILLS AND EXCHANGE AT THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE
DEPARTMENT OF THE ECOBANK MOROCCO PLC. I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO ASK
FOR SUPPORT AND CO-OPERATION TO CARRY OUT THIS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IN
MY DEPARTMENT. WE DISCOVER AN ABANDONED SUM OF US$30,000,000.00 (THIRTY
MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE
OF
OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMER WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY IN NOVEMBER
2002 IN A PLANE CRASH. SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH WE HAVE
BEEN EXPECTIN G HIS NEXT OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY
BECAUSE
WE CANNOT RELEASE THE MONEY UNLESS SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR IT AS THE NEXT
OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING
GUIDELINES. UNFORTUNATELY, NEITHER THE FAMILY MEMBER NOR THE RELATION
HAS APPEARED TO CLAIM THIS MONEY, AT THIS DISCOVERY, I AND OTHER
OFFICIALS IN THE DEPARTMENT NOW DECIDED TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU AND
RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION OF THE DECEASE
FOR SAFETY AND SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT SI NCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT
AND WE DON'T WANT THIS MONEY TO GO INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS AN
UNCLAIMED DEBT. THE BANKING LAW AND GUIDELINES OF ECOBANK MORROCO PLC
STIPULATES THAT IF SUCH MONEY REMAINED UNCLAIMED FOR A PERIOD OF THREE
(3) YEARS IT WILL BE TRANSFERRED INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED
FUND. THE NEED FOR A FOREIGNER AS NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS
OCCASSIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND A MORROCO
CANNOT STAND AS HIS NEXT OF KIN OR HEIR. WE AGREED THAT 30% OF THE M
ONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS FOREIGN PARTNER, THERE AFTER MY COLLEAGUE AND I
WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGE
INDICATED. THEREFORE, TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THE FUND TO
YOU AS INDICATED. YOU MUST APPLY TO THE BAN K AS A RELATION OR NEXT OF
KIN OF THE DECEASED, INDICATING YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER AND LOCATION
WHEREIN THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED. UPON RECEIPT OF REPLY BY MAIL, I
WILL SEND TO YOU BY MAIL THE TEXT OF APPLICATION. AS SOON AS YOU
RECEIVE
THIS LETTER YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY AND INDICATE YOUR DIRECT
FAX AND CONFIDENTIAL TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY ON MY E-MAIL.
c-d2005@fastermail.com
YOURS FAITHFULLY,
MR. CASSA CANN
ECO BANK MOROCCO PLC




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